Idiot Old Guy Wants To Game

[Docaltmed]

I've not played many games, though the few I've played were a lot of fun.

The first was Zork (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork), then nothing really grabbed me until Myst. I subsequently played part of Riven, which I'm currently trying to get to run but Wine has sound issues and my XP virtual machine gets indigestion from Riven's graphics.

Of course, you can't go anywhere these days without tripping over a Skyrim thread.

Given my rather bleak gaming history, would I groove to Skyrim? Or can the gaming cognescenti among you suggest other games I might like?

(NB: I did recently download Trauma from the USC. Pretty cool ambience, but a little loose on the puzzle-solving end of things.)

[forrestcupp]

I have a similar history. I started with Zork on the C64, and moved to games like Questron and Legacy of the Ancients. Later when I got an x86 based computer, I really got into Myst and Riven.

I haven't played Skyrim, but from everything I've seen and heard from my nephew, it looks like everything I always dreamed about back in the Legacy of the Ancient days. The only problem is that now I don't have enough time to get sucked into such a massive game.

[jjex22]

From the trailers and convo's I've heard, I'd imagine you'd be a bit like me last Christmas when my brother introduced me to World of Warcraft -bare in mind that I don't own a PS3, Xbox 360, and the last time I bought a game was 2002-3, and those were either driving or skateboarding games - totally out of depth BUT these game are usually really good at helping you get started!

I don't think it's really prior experience with these absolutely massive games - they have so many rules that you can only learn by playing, I think it's just patience - if you'll get wound up at how much you suck to start with, then probably not but if you go into them expecting to suck and learn as you go, I doubt there'll be a problem - if anything not knowing similar games may help as you wont be thrown by things that are similar but different to other games?

Just wanted to say kudos on Myst - the first PC game I ever had (and first proper 3D game ever - before that I had a Sega Master System) took me a whole school summer to finish Myst with my friend - no internet so no cheats! the two of us slowly worked it out - he got Riven a couple of years later, but we never even puzzled our way off the second disk if I remember! Ah the summer of Cricket Camp and Myst! simple days!

[deonis]

You are definitely have to try Heroes of Might and Magic 3.5 (it works under linux). If you like action then you need to try Quake 3 (works under linux) and of course Cossacks (1) Back to war (should work under wine). This will keep you up at night :)

cheers

[koleoptero]

Of the first game you're going to play after so many years is going to be Skyrim, then you're in for a shock.

[Docaltmed]

Of the first game you're going to play after so many years is going to be Skyrim, then you're in for a shock.

uh-oh. How come?

[Merk42]

I haven't played Skyrim, but it's not a point and click (or uh "read and type") like Myst or Zork.

If you want point and clicks, Telltale Games (http://www.telltalegames.com/) makes a few good ones like Sam and Max (yes the same Sam and Max back in LucasArts days)

Do you have the proper hardware to even play Skyrim?

[koleoptero]

uh-oh. How come?

A huge open-world rpg... I meant a pleasant shock (does that make sense?) not an unpleasant one.

[meh_phistopheles]

if you're going to try to play that game, then read this first, because you'll probably be doing a lot of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinding_%28video_gaming%29

i played the game in that series called morrowind, which was the new one at the time i was in high school. it was cool, but i don't think i could do it now. i would much prefer to read a fantasy or science fiction series if i wanted to get immersed in some mystical setting or something like that.

[Thewhistlingwind]

uh-oh. How come?

To put it lightly...

The bar has been raised quite a bit from Myst...

[3rdalbum]

Grab an N64 emulator and have a bash at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

You'll love it. I can't guarantee that you'll get very far without using a walkthrough, but if you can, you are probably ready to try Skyrim.

I second the suggestion of Sam And Max; these are great point-and-click games, especially for people who don't usually play games. Pretty funny too.

[drawkcab]

I was about to say the same thing, grab and emulator and then you have tons of classic console rpgs to choose from. Off the top of my head, two of my favorites are Zelda: Link to the Past, Earthbound and Chronotrigger for the super nintendo.

[IWantFroyo]

I own Skyrim, and it has to be one of the best games I've ever played. It's an amazing RPG, and the graphics are fantastic.

Really, it's the type of thing you hook up to the TV just so you can stare at the virtual night sky. Then you get attacked by wolves.

[StephanG]

I know a lot of people have been talking about Skyrim, but it really is a good choice for someone who has been out of the gaming scene recently.

They've gotten the game to flow vary naturally, so the player doesn't have to worry about which skills to advance, or where to distribute skill points, etc.

Skryim is a game you can just... play. But, it also has the advantage of modern graphics, stunning effects, and best of all... voices. Oh God, the voices! There are countless lines and sentences, professionally voice acted. Some of them are even famous actors. I recognized three while playing the game...

Basically, what I'm trying to say, is that it's a great game if you just want to play a modern game, without having to worry about little details, or the impossible difficulty level that gives so many "old guys" trouble.

[3rdalbum]

I was about to say the same thing, grab and emulator and then you have tons of classic console rpgs to choose from. Off the top of my head, two of my favorites are Zelda: Link to the Past, Earthbound and Chronotrigger for the super nintendo.

My idea was actually to get him playing 3D games, so he'd be able to slip into any other 3D game without too many worries :-) Ocarina is a good game for this as it's still quite modern. But yes, there are plenty of great games for SNES.

[tartalo]

The first was Zork (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork), then nothing really grabbed me until Myst.

Both Interactive Fiction and Point and Click adventures have great amateur scenes nowadays where the games are free as in beer, but not necessarily bad, some are really good games.

About IF, most of the games are available for download in The Interactive Fiction Archive (http://ifarchive.org/) Including classics like Zork, but I would recommend you the modern adventures. Since the archive is immense you might find helpful the Baf's Guide (http://wurb.com/if/)

To play these games you will need the appropriate virtual machine. In the repositories you will find Gargoyle, this program includes the most common ones.

About Point and Click adventures I recommend you to have a look to Adventure Game Studio (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/), officially only for windows but the 2.7.x branch had a working port of the engine for Linux, or you can play them on Wine too. It was recently open-sourced and the small community is struggling with porting it to other platforms.

Among the modern games the last puzzle-solving game with a history I really really liked was Portal 2 (http://www.thinkwithportals.com/), but it's not free and I don't know if it runs under Wine.

[donkyhotay]

I'm a little confused, the OP mentioned enjoying early puzzle games (zork, myst, riven) so why are so many people throwing RPG style games at him (skyrim, zelda, etc.)? Never played skyrim and zelda of course has some puzzle aspects but I wouldn't really consider them related to zork or myst. If looking for puzzle games I'd suggest the point and clicks like sam and max (which has been mentioned). Beneath a steel sky and Flight of the Amazon Queen are two games of this style that are already in the repos.

[forrestcupp]

I'm a little confused, the OP mentioned enjoying early puzzle games (zork, myst, riven) so why are so many people throwing RPG style games at him (skyrim, zelda, etc.)?

Because the OP specifically asked about Skyrim.

[Docaltmed]

Wow, what a bunch of great suggestions! Thanks!

WRT role-playing games, I figured before I invested in something like Skyrim, I ought to try something a little less expensive...or free, as in beer. Because I had absolutely no idea whether I would actually like an RPG or not.

Today being my day off, I downloaded Ryzom from the USC, and booted it up. What a hoot! Damn, I must have wasted a good 4 hours playing it.

How come nobody told me about this stuff? Is this what you guys have been doing all these years? 'Cuz I got some serious catching up to do.

[3rdalbum]

I might have to give Ryzom a try then. I'm not really into RPGs, but if you're a casual gamer and enjoying it then I might like it too.

[jwbrase]

Whether you'll like Skyrim (or any other such game) is probably as much a matter of personality as of age. I'm in my mid 20's and there's a whole slew of modern and popular games that I just don't feel much attraction toward, and a whole bunch of less popular games that I like. Meanwhile, I've got a whole bunch of peers going crazy over Skyrim. Among people your age who dare touch a computer, there's probably much the same thing going on.

[Docaltmed]

Among people your age who dare touch a computer, there's probably much the same thing going on.

Hmmph. My only response to *that* comment is to LMFAO and then tell you to get off my lawn.

[donkyhotay]

Because the OP specifically asked about Skyrim.

Reread the original post, can't believe I missed that. :oops:

[forrestcupp]

Hmmph. My only response to *that* comment is to LMFAO and then tell you to get off my lawn.Lol! There are a lot of older people who have lived through the history of computing and know more about how things work than most of the smartbutt kids of this generation. :)


Reread the original post, can't believe I missed that. :oops:

It happens to all of us. :)